My sister has been in treatment for cancer of tonsils. Last radiation of twice daily for 6 weeks was 4/26/02. We had many low days after radiation, but just last Friday she seemed to make a turn. She went shopping and visited friends. The next day physicallly she did not feel as well. I understand the three steps forward and two steps back. It seems now that she is really going through a depression. I asked her today what was making her feel depressed (I was not being sarcastic, I just wanted her to relay what it was about right now that was making her feel depressed.) She had her oncologist meeting on Monday of this week. He took a look (not an x-ray) and said that he was pleased with the healing and that she did not have to be checked for 2 months. What does that mean? Is the cancer gone? What? Anyway She is very depressed and I didn't know if any of ya'll went through this at this stage in the treatment and what do you think it could really be about. When I ask her, she says she really doesn't know-that she just is. She says she doesn't want to go on any medication for it-Just wants to handle this herself. My other question is have any of you that have been depressed right after radiation gone on any medication that helped or anything that may be a suggestion to help her.

Molly,

What you have to understand is that the actual clinical depression that she is going through is normal. Remember that she has just had an intimate brush with death. The acute realization that our existence here is transitory is a difficult thing for people to come to terms with. We like to think that it is always someone else who dies in the car accident, or of cancer, but experiences like these make us realize that we are frail and mortal creatures. This idea while we understand it intellectually, in reality takes some getting used to. From my own personal experience, being the classic egocentric, macho male tough guy, getting cut down to size by cancer really took the wind out of my emotional sails. Mid recovery after radiation treatments, I cried on a daily basis, but I couldn

My mom just finished radiation a month ago. She has had bouts of depression during treatment & currently. She was just prescribed an anti-depressant, paxil, and we are hoping this will make a difference. Although she is doing so much better than she was while in treatment, she is frustrated that she isn't "back to normal". I think she is starting to realize that she most likely will never have the same energy level that she used to have. She has to come to terms with so many things and I believe the anti-depressant will be a big help in overcoming alot of these issues.

Molly, I went through my cancer operation almost two years ago. I like your sister felt that I could handle the down times without medication. I had my up days and my down days. But in the last six months my down days seemed to outnumber my good days. If someone even mentioned the word cancer I would cry. I also caught myself lashing out at people and feeling very anxious. Well, in preparation for my bone graft this coming Monday, I had to go see my PCP and talked about my feelings. He has prescribed Paxil and Xanax of which I have been on a week now. I understand that the results will be felt in about four to five weeks.

If someone asks me what I'm depressed about, I can't really put my finger on one thing, but the reoccurance of cancer is always a fear.

Tell your sister that she is not alone in how she feels.

Take care.

Anne.

My mother who has been through the ringer in the last year. 2 surgeries, radiation and chemo and she is 79. I took her to the doctor for her monthly appointment with her surgeon/ENT. He asked her if there were any problems and she said that she was anxious a lot of the time. She never mentioned it to any of us, but it certainly isn't hard to understand. The doctor prescribed ADAVAN for her to use when she felt anxious. I asked her afterwards and she said it is hard not to think of a recurrence of cancer and it wears on you after a while. Also all the problems with eating and swallowing take a toll on her. She said that she spends most of her days getting food ready and then trying to eat it and by the time she is finished it's time to start again...not very emotionally uplifting.